This invention relates to chimney flue cleaners. More particularly, it relates to an improved chimney flue cleaner which is adjustable for various sizes of flues.
In recent years, since the energy crisis began, there has been a widespread return to woodburning stoves for home heating. Unlike woodburning stoves of the distant past, which burned vigorously and hot allowing the unburned particles to escape up the flue as gas, the modern stove is relatively air-tight for controlled combustion. This feature allows greater fuel conservation and a more even heat output. However, this energy conservation feature has a hazardous side effect. Because of the lower temperatures in controlled combustion, a higher percentage of the unburned combustable materials in the wood smoke is deposited on the walls of the flue. This deposited material called creosote is highly combustable. Over time the deposits continue to build. Two results of this buildup are obvious and both dangerous. First, the buildup of creosote will in time reduce the size of the flue passageway so that the amount of smoke leaving the combustion chamber of the stove has an increasingly smaller space through which to travel to the outside. This results in yet poorer combustion and the backup of more smoke in the stove. Whenever the stove door is opened smoke in ever larger quantities is emitted into the room causing possible smoke damage to the interior of the house and polluting the air. If this situation is not corrected the flue can become completely blocked and the stove rendered useless.
Second, and much more importantly, the buildup of the creosote in the flue produces an ever increasing quantity of highly combustable material outside of the combustion chamber of the stove. When the proper conditions are present, the creosote may ignite and the results are often disastrous, as many stories in the news media testify.
There are two procedures for preventing a flue and/or house fire caused by creosote buildup. The first is to reduce to a minimum the buildup of the creosote deposits by the use of expensive catalytic burners. These devices enable most of the creosote producing materials to be consumed before reaching the flue. However, many people cannot afford the new stoves with the catalytic feature or the expense of adding the device to an already expensive "air tight" stove.
The second procedure is to periodically eliminate the creosote buildup by physically stripping it from the flue walls and removing it.
In recent years several techniques have been devised for the physical removal of flue creosote. One method uses wire brushes on a shaft which is inserted down the chimney. By moving the brushes up and down the buildup is supposed to be removed. The effectiveness of this method is minimal, however, since creosote is a sticky tar-like substance which mere brushing cannot remove.
Another widely used method, and equally ineffective, is lowering a jute bag filled with rocks, bricks, chains, etc. into the flue and pulling it out again. Needless to say, this will not remove the sticky creosote.
More recently a device has come on the market which is lowered down the flue on a rope, then a spring loaded series of wire hooks are caused to push out against the inside walls of the flue. As the device is pulled up to the top of the flue the wire hooks render a clawing action which should remove the tar where the hooks engage it. This is probably the most efficient method of removing creosote heretofore known. However, there are several important limitations to this device. First, it is expensive. Second, it cannot strip all of the creosote from the flue walls--only where the wire hooks engage the surface--leaving ridges of creosote still clinging to the flue. Third, this device will fit only the shape of flue for which it is expressly made. For example, one made for a rectangular flue will only work in a rectangular flue, a round device for a round flue, and a square device for a square flue. If a home owner has more than one flue shape he will have to purchase more than one device in order to keep his flues cleaned out. Fourth, there is the possibility that the spring loaded hooks can become snagged at a joint of two flue liner sections, making it difficult to pull the device back up and possibly damaging the flue liner by causing it to crack or chip. Other prior art is shown in patent literature.
German Patent No. 100,926 shows a flue cleaner including a rod having a wheel mounted thereto. The working end of the cleaner includes a somewhat complicated spring actuated device which causes a pair of scrapers to project at a 90.degree. angle from the rod and resting against opposing sides of the flue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,378 shows a chimney cleaner utilizing a plate which is bent at a 90.degree. angle having a plurality of fingers extending therefrom. A pair of adjustable rollers are mounted at an angle with respect to each other and are connected to the plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,230,310 shows a chimney cleaner which utilizes a flat scraping blade connected to a rod with a compression element extending from the rod to compress the scraping blade against one side of the flue.
U.S. Pat. No. 580,258 shows a flue cleaner having a pair of scrapers extending at opposing narrow angles from the end of an elongated rod with the angle being adjusted by a spacing bolt.
In a non-analogous art U.S. Pat. No. 935,259 shows a floor scraper which utilizes a roller connected to a rod which further includes a scraper connected to the axle of the roller.
In view of the current state of the art and the problems associated with increased usage of wood stoves, there exists a need for a simple and inexpensive but effective flue cleaner.